My Thoughts on the Force
by Deiru Tamashi
Summary: Just a place for me to write when I'm feeling poetic, whimsical, or just want to write down what I think about, well, the Force. Feel free to read and see what paths my mind goes on, and hey, maybe you or I will learn something. Just be kind if you are reviewing.
1. Entry 1: What is the Force?

My Thoughts on the Force

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The following entries are excerpts on, as the title suggests, my thoughts on the concept called "the Force", including its nature, its meaning, and what its existence means for the galaxy. During to the scale of such an existence, there will be times when I may digress from the subject at hand to go into more depth on a certain point, or may turn down another road altogether as an entry progresses. There may even be time when one entry contradicts another, as my thoughts may be wont to do at times. Such is the what occurs when I take to writing my thoughts on paper.

But these thoughts are indeed mine, and I leave them here in the hope that, by writing them down, I will have a finer grasp on what my feelings about the Force truly are, and therefore perhaps become a little bit wiser for it. You may disagree with me at this point and many others (I may even disagree with me) and I will respect your opinion. Just so long as you extend the same courtesy and respect mine. With that said, let this short preface reach its conclusion, and this venture begin.

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 **Entry 1: What is the Force?**

The Force is neither an energy source, nor an ability to be harnessed. It is the all-pervading essence that defines, gives shape to, and contains within itself everything in the universe that exists. Truth and lies, day and night, good and evil, all are part of the Force, and the Force is a part of them. It is capable of strengthening and weakening others, of destroying and healing, of uniting people and dividing them. The true nature of the Force is that it is all things, and yet, none of them.

The Force is all things, for it gives life to all creation and is the foundation for existence. Without the Force, everything that exists would never have, and the universe would be nothing but an eternal void. That is why those who reach out through the Force can perceive people and events from across the universe, and even in other parts of time. It is because the Force flows through everything in the universe throughout all of time, thus enabling one to see all that is, if they are willing and able to open their eyes.

Yet, for all this, the Force is none as well as all. Even though it is integral to creation, the Force is not something that can be perceived by any of the senses. It cannot be seen, tasted, smelled, heard or touched. Indeed, the sensations we feel—the chilling rush of power, the tranquil warmth of meditation—come from the responses we have to being exposed to the Force's power. Not from the Force itself. It is the perfect example of the metaphysical—it exists, but cannot be perceived in a way that can be done while remaining within the physical and tangible world.

The Force's power, therefore, cannot be divided into simple categories, as it goes beyond them. There is no true 'side' to the Force due to it encompassing all sides. The Dark and Light sides, originally known as Bogan and Ashla by the Je'daii Order, are but two more ways to see the Force, two more points of view to consider. Bogan, the Dark, focuses on the passion and strength of the individual and draws power from emotions such as anger, fear, greed and passion. Conversely, Ashla, the Light, focuses on inner peace and benevolence, believing itself to be the 'right' version of the Force and centered around calmness, wisdom and healing.

Both Dark and Light possess flaws in their proclamations. The Force is greater than any one individual, and is affected by more than one set of emotions. It can be used to empower both oneself and others, and is empowered by love and hate just the same. Attachments made by a person will serve to amplify their emotions, but emotions do not lead to corruption. Rather, emotions are the sign that something is alive, and is capable of feeling. It is what someone does when acting on those attachments and emotions—and whether or not they let their emotions consume them—that determines their fate.

Moreover, Light and Dark are dependent on each other to exist. Without the Dark, Light would have nothing to illuminate, to enlighten, and all would be simply burnt away. And without the Light, the Dark would leave everything blind, fearful, and nothing would be able to grow. And these are just two philosophies revolving around the Force; so many more exist, each one its own lens to view the Force with. Yet Force is more than any one set of beliefs. It cannot be enslaved, or allied with. It is not just a means to an end, or simply the ultimate decision maker. It is less and more, and which parts of it are seen is only constrained by the user's perception.

This in turn highlights the fact that, while living, any perception of the Force is incomplete. To use the power of the Force is to reach out and touch the fabric of creation itself, and channel that pure essence through a conduit—the self—to affect the rest of the universe. But that conduit also acts a barrier between someone and complete perception of the Force. As stated earlier, the sensations felt when exposed to the Force are merely the responses we produce to such an exposure. They are not sensations produced by the Force itself, but by ourselves.

To truly feel the Force in its entirety, one would be required to shed their physical self and become as intangible as the Force. So long as a person remains within the physical realm (referred to by some to be the 'land of the living') their perceptions are restricted to only what they are capable of experiencing that the tangible barrier of 'self' does not filter out.

That said, it is possible for someone to, for a limited moment, achieve state of complete union with the Force while living, becoming a means by which the Force interacts with the galaxy while maintaining a state of purity unseen by any physical object. That said, those that experience this state typically had a strong connection to the Force even beforehand and, even then, less than a handful of individuals have achieved this more than once. But when this is done, that person's power in nearly unlimited.

As the Force resides within all things, its power may in turn be used for any purpose. What an individual can accomplish is limited only by how much they open themselves to the Force and their own inner strength. When channeled through oneself and guided by the user's will, the effects take the shape that is desired. By nature of containing everything that lives, the Force also possesses its own will, and its own plan for the universe.

The will of the Force affects the paths and decisions of all living things, guiding everything along a path. That will is independent of all moral constructs, personal philosophies and founded beliefs. It does not succumb to perspectives of what 'should' and 'should not' be. It exists beyond that. However, even if the Force has a will and a plan, that plan is not set into stone, and can be influenced by the actions of those who possess the necessary willpower.

Any living being who therefore possesses the willpower to determine their fate may either accept the path laid out for them by the Force, or reject it. To perform the latter will subsequently open new roads to be traveled upon. Consequently, each decision made in response to that decision will cause another decision to be made, continuing _ad infinitum_ , turning the tides in the ocean that is reality and changing the end result of the Force's plan with each choice made. It is for this reason that the future is subject to change, and even glimpses made into it are not absolute. Destiny is false, for all actions in the universe are decided by the Force and those who are part of it.

This is the truth of the Force. It is more than Light or Dark, Bogan or Ashla, good or evil. It envelops and transcends all things in the universe, even time, and guides everything within itself along a path that can change with the one who walks it. And to use the power of the Force is to channel the very essence of existence.

So, it has been said. May the Force be with all that is, and its embrace reach out into eternity.


	2. Entry 2: The Duality of the Force

**Entry 2: The Duality of the Force, and What It Defies**

All things exist in duality. For every positive, there is a negative. For every down, there is an up. A left, a right. The Force in no different in this regard. Even it obeys this law of duality, and possesses two parts: The Cosmic Force and The Living Force.

The Living Force is an energy generated by all living things in the universe. From the smallest microbe to the largest beast, the simple act of living creates this energy, permeating the air and reality all around us. The Living Force is given further strength by focusing on the present, and letting the instincts an individual has obtained throughout life guide their actions. Then, following the end of life, the Living Force is what enables a person to manifest as an incorporeal version of themselves, also known as a "Force spirit".

The Cosmic Force is the aspect of the Force that binds all living things together. When an individual dies, they become part of the Cosmic Force, and exist without time or age, as the Cosmic Force exists beyond the confines of either. The Cosmic Force is not only composed of the deceased, but is also fed power by the Living Force. Because of this, the Cosmic Force is more than a sum of its parts, and its power is such that it even could leave enough weapons capable of destruction on a planetary scale inferior.

The Living Force and the Cosmic Force, originally two separate and distinct aspects of Force, are brought in communion with each other by what has, in most recent times, been dubbed "midi-chlorians". The midi-chlorians are microscopic life-forms, born within the heart of the galaxy in a planet known as the "Wellspring of Life", that enable the Living Force to feed into the Cosmic Force.

As time passed, the midi-chlorians spread out from the galactic center and into the rest of space. From there, they formed a symbiotic relationship with the cells of other living organisms, and inhabited those same cells. This caused all living entities to become connected to one another by the Force, and in turn enabled the Force to connect with them.

The energy of the Living Force made by these now midi-chlorian-containing organisms funnels into the Cosmic Force, and the Cosmic Force then enabled life to be made anew. This created a self-perpetuating cycle that, to this days, still exists. The Cosmic Force causes the creation of new life, life creates the Living Force that feeds into Cosmic Force and then joins with it upon death, and the circle is closed, beginning anew.

As previously discussed, the Force possesses its own will. It is through the midi-chlorians that the Force expresses this will to individuals and creates the path through the life that they may either reject or take. To be able to utilize the Force as a whole, in both its Living and Cosmic aspects, is only possible because of the existence of these tiny organisms, who have formed a bond with the very building blocks that compose our bodies and reward this with the power to control the universe's essence.

But if this is to be taken as true, why do only some individuals manifest the power to channel the Force? If midi-chlorians are bonded with the all the cells of the quadrillions of life-forms in the universe, why are only a fraction of them able to utilize the Force's power? The answer to this is, surprisingly, rather simple. The answer is chance.

Chance is most simply defined as 'the possibility of something happening'. If something is to occur purely by chance, there is no higher power that determines that it must happen, no endless list of circumstances that must align perfectly for an event to occur. But rather, chance is the pure, unbiased possibility of something happening, with it just as likely to have occurred, as not.

It is pure chance that answers whether two people, who did not have so much as an inkling of the existence of each other beforehand, will encounter one another and form a bond. It is pure chance that answers whether either of two cells, will formed via the division of one that came before them, will exhibit the exact same properties, or form a mutation that can either help or hinder the organism as a whole.

Much the same, it is chance that determines whether an individual will be able to reach out through the midi-chlorians and channel the power of the Force. There is no rule stating that only one midi-chlorian be bound to a cell. Rather, a single cell may have multiple midi-chlorians bound to it, numbering in the tens, hundreds, even thousands. The average number of midi-chlorians per cell within an organism's body are calculated and called that organism's "midi-chlorian count". The number of midi-chlorians bound to a cell, and therefore the midi-chlorian count of an individual, is determined by that same unpredictable and uncontrollable element that is chance.

From there, it is once the average number of midi-chlorians per cell reaches a certain threshold that an individual obtains the ability to effectively channel the Force, and use it to affect the universe around them. There is no true limit to how many midi-chlorians may be attached to a cell, though this number only determines an individual's _potential_ with the Force. To become truly skilled with it still requires time, practice and effort on the part of the user.

However, while the ability to manipulate the Force depends on chance, and the Force itself does obey the law of duality in having both the Living and the Cosmic Force, there are still several laws governing the universe that the Force can choose whether to ignore or obey. The first of these is the law of universal gravitation, the law stating that every particle in the universe is attracted to each other by a force directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the distance between them.

Consider this example. A rock is lying unmoving on top of a planet. Both the rock and the planet exert gravity on each other, though the gravitation exerted by the planet is much larger in proportion to that of the rock. Yet an individual who can utilize the Force is able to lift the rock above the planet's surface.

Realistically speaking, the gravity exerted by an entire planet would be greater than anything a single individual would be able to harness. Even when jumping, the planet's gravity may temporarily lose hold on us, but without assistance, we are swiftly brought back down. Yet the Force enables a person to complete bypass this. Through sheer application of mental effort, and not even a large amount of effort at that, an individual can overcome the entire force of gravity exerted by a planet and move an object away from that planet's surface without coming into contact with it, even indirectly. And the same can occur in reverse—an object moving towards a planet with ever-increasing speed can be slowed down or even stopped through utilization of the Force and the Force alone. To those who can utilize the Force, size and mass can lose any meaning, if they wish.

Another law that the Force may choose whether is that of electric charges, known to us as Coulomb's Law. Similar to the law of universal gravitation, this law states that, when two particles are given a static charge, they will exert a force on each other proportional to the product of those charges over the square of the distance between them.

For this explanation, here is another example. Take two objects, one given a positive charge, and another given a negative charge. Due to their charges being opposite, the two particles would naturally exert an attraction towards each other, and draw closer together. As the distance between them decreases, the magnitude of the attraction would exponentially increase, until eventually the distance would approach zero and the attraction neared infinity. And unless an outside particle with its own charge were enter this system, the magnitude of the total charge would stay the same.

Yet the Force is able, again, to defy the laws set in place. The Force enables an individual to increase or decrease the charge on an object without adding any new particles to the system. This is done through either projecting the electrical energy at the object (e.g. Force Lightning) or through absorbing the energy into themselves in a process known as _Tutaminis_. Therefore, a person can change the total electric charge of system without adding any new particles to the system. This can lead to major changes in the nature of whatever they are affecting, especially if they are changing the total charges in systems such as, say, electrons orbiting an atom.

Yet either of these examples pale in comparison to the defiance that can be committed by the force in breaking this third law, one of the most fundamental laws in all nature as we know. That law is known as the Law of Conservation. It states simply that, while it can change in location, form and even type, energy cannot be created or destroyed. This law is essential to our understanding of physics and life itself, and to defy it would be to change the very fabric of creation at its most basic level.

Take the electric example previously discussed. If a Force-user were to create electricity, where did that electricity come from? Did it come from the Force-user, meaning that they decreased the overall amount of electricity in their own body and projected it at their target? Such a thing would leave the body's muscles no longer able to be stimulated. Our brains could no longer receive impulses to translate into information. If a Force-user is to project energy at their opponent, and that energy came from their own body, they would be left as complete vegetables.

And the energy projected or absorbed by someone does not come from or go into the environment around them. If it did, then the use of the Force within space would not be possible, as there is nothing in the vacuum of space to contain the energy.

So that leaves the final option. If a Force-user is projecting or absorbing energy and that energy does not come from themselves or the environment around them, then how does the energy appear or disappear? The answers is that the individual, contrary to all possible belief, is able to create or destroy the energy as they will, and therefore change the amount of energy overall.

But although we know the Force can accomplish all of these things, that does not answer the question of _why_. Or better yet, _how_. What is it about the Force that enables it to pick and choose when and which laws of reality it can obey and disobey? And by reaching out through the Force via the midi-chlorians to use this power, how does the user themselves remain bound by these laws even as they channel this reality-defying ability? And if the Force is capable of such feats, what composes the midi-chlorians that enables us to use this power?

These are the questions that lie at the heart of the Force and of creation. To know the answers to them could very mean unlocking the secret to life and existence itself. After all, if the midi-chlorians can be used to create life, what is to stop them from being used to create death? Or bring an end to either? And finding these answers is the quest of all who wish to ponder the unknown depths of that wellspring that is the Force.


	3. Entry 3: Death and Immortality

**Entry 3: Death and Immortality in the Force**

It is the nature of all living things to die. Like a flower rising from the ground, we grow, we bloom, we wither and we decay. The rate of decay and the length of life is not standard, and varies from species to species, and even then to individual to individual. All that lives and breathes must die. Yet it is not only the certainty of death that unites all living things. It is the attempt to prevent it, to break the hold that death has and become everlasting, immortal. This is the most basic desire of all things, and here the various methods through which the Force is believed to grant this power.

First, however, we must look at how the state of being "dead" is achieved. While the factors that may lead to it are many and varied, death is, in itself, the cessation of bodily functions and it therefore becoming inactivate and unresponsive to external factors, such as other organisms. Once this occurs, sentient individuals are known to enter another realm of existence, which is given the title "Netherworld of the Force."

When a deceased person enters the Netherworld of the Force, they lose their sense of individuality and their consciousness. Once they have lost both, their souls dissipate into pure energy that is fed into the Cosmic Force, becoming a part of the galaxy as a whole.

However, while this is the fate of most sentient beings, there are several exceptions to this rule. By becoming "one with the Force" and achieving a state of perfect union with it, a person can maintain both their conscience and individuality even after death. To this requires an individual to obtain perfect balance in the Force, releasing all attachments they possesses within the physical realm and giving way to utter harmony within the mind.

For this reason, most of the individuals who do manifest a consciousness after death are Jedi, as the entire Jedi code revolves around lack of attachments, inner peace and the abolition of passion. This therefore makes it much easier for them to become "one with the Force" than their Sith counterparts, who disdain the very concept of death, as it interferes with their doctrine of personal power and freedom.

Not to say that there have not been Sith who have become "Force ghosts" but these occurrences are few and far between, even more so as time passes. Most of the Sith who became one with the Force lived long before the era of even the Great Galactic War. Now, these spirits may remain, but no new members join their ranks.

On the other hand, even then this state of union does not last perpetually; eventually even Jedi will still fade and become part of the Cosmic Force. But for a brief time, they will be able to interact with the physical world and its inhabitants, even if they do not any longer possess physical forms of their own. So, what other routes to everlasting life does the Force offer?

The extension of life was often done by using more unconventional or even "unnatural" Force practices, ones that were in turn associated with the Dark Side of the Force. Such practices included sustaining one's life force via a physical object, such as a talisman or set of artifacts, the most notable of these being the Muur Talisman. Another example is using the Force itself to sustain a body's processes even when said processes would have long since ended in any other case, an act most notably done by the Sith Darth Sion.

Yet the most popular method of extending life was known as "transfer essence". Initially developed by the Sith Darth Andeddu, this power enabled a person to move the consciousness and/or life force of one body into another, sacrificing the body that was left behind and preserving the life of the person who inhabited it by placing it within a new body. This most was most often to ensure the survival of the user, transferring the consciousness to a new body as their old one began to fail.

By placing their minds within new bodies repetitively, it would be theoretically possible for a person to never actually die so long as they had a new body to migrate into. However, if the person who already possessed the body resisted this usurpation, then it would be nearly impossible for the person transferring their essence to succeed in taking over the body of their would-be host. And should the process fail, the user would spend the remainder of their existence in perpetual agony, unable to become one with the Force or even lose consciousness as all other beings would.

Give the ability's inherent difficulty in performing and executing as well the consequences of failure, modern users of the technique choose to use it on bodies that have next to no conscious of their own, such as clones. But should any of the transfers fail, then the chain of transfers and extended life will be broken. Indeed, even with any attempt at extending life without end, all it takes is one twist of fate to put an end to it all.

But in the end, is life without end _truly_ the ultimate goal of all who pursue it? Though no mind exists that can do so entirely, try to at least partially comprehend the scale of the idea of living _forever_. To live forever would literally mean life without end. Even when the last stars burnt out, when all life in the galaxy faded and everything in it turned to dust, the immortal would still remain. A million billion trillion years from now, the one who is immortal would be alive. And even then, they would have only experienced a small fraction of infinite life. An infinitely small fraction.

No, what those who quest for immortality seek is not the absence of death, but rather control over it. To pick and choose when they will die, not to have that time forced upon them. That is the true goal of any who seek immortality, and it is because of this distinction, searching for one thing while wishing for another, that none have ever truly succeeded.


	4. Entry 4: Knowledge, Will and Power

**Entry 4: Knowledge, Will and Power**

There is power in knowledge. All walks of life understand this principle, yet few truly understand why. The process of life requires survival, and survival cannot be done without evolving to face that challenge. Evolution requires a push- the challenge- and knowledge- what faults they possess and how to overcome them. Without knowledge, there is no change. Without change, life will stagnate. And stagnation is the prelude to death.

Thus, to face a challenge and survive, to live, power is required. And that power lies in knowledge. How to obtain the food needed to sustain the body. How to use the mind to derive a solution. How to do so little as breath, if you are a species that requires such in order to survive. To do all these things, knowledge is necessary.

But why does knowledge grant power? Perhaps a better question to ask is: what does it mean to have "power"? The word itself takes on different meaning depending on who you ask. Ask a physicist, and they will say that "power" is the rate at which a force is applied over a distance per unit of time. But ask a general, and they will say that "power" is the military strength of the state. In this context, however, "power" is defined simply as "the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events". A little long-winded, but the idea is the same. To have power is to be able to direct change upon people or events.

So why does knowledge provide such an ability? If you have trouble understanding this concept, consider the following scenario. There is a contest taking place, one in which you are competing along with your archrival. Both of you possess equal skill in all things, and both of you want the prize being offered. But the difference between the two of you is that, while your rival does not know the nature of the task required to obtain the prized, you do. Because you possess knowledge your rival does not, you will be able to prepare in advance for the task, thereby ensuring your victory. Possessing knowledge, and using that knowledge to your advantage, will give you more power than any strength-enhancer ever will.

Of course, this brings up another question. If knowledge is the path to power, why are there some who have knowledge but appear to be weaker than others? What do some with less knowledge but more power have that others with more knowledge and less power lack? Think of knowledge as its own element, and power as a compound it is part of. In order to create that compound necessary for survival, a third component is needed. That component is called "will".

A person's "will" is their deliberate desire or intention, and is the faculty upon which they decide and initiate action. If a person wills for something to be done, they will use the knowledge at their disposal to see it through. Knowledge and will are both needed, as the two work together to create power. If two people possess equal knowledge but one has a greater will, the one with the greater will is more likely to achieve their own desires, since they will be more powerful. This is why some with less knowledge will still be more powerful than those with more knowledge. Not because of luck or fate, but because they possessed greater will than their adversaries.

So the same can be said when utilizing the Force. The Force, in its Living aspect, is the energy passively created by all life in the galaxy. There are Force-Users, particularly the Jedi, who believe that the Force therefore possesses its own "will" and is capable of making decisions that affect life on a galactic scale. And since the Force itself is the more powerful aspect of the galaxy, its will is greater than any being alive.

However, is the Force is an energy field, as well as know it to be, how can it possess a will in the context the Jedi phrase it? And furthermore, if it does possess a will, does that mean it has a conscience? And is that conscience in any way similar to that which we possess?

One can argue that the Force possesses a will in the same way that other energy fields possesses a will, such as gravity and electricity. Gravity wills objects to move towards its center, while electricity wills its particles to seek out other particles with a change opposite their own. If these energy fields have a will, it is argued, then an energy field such the Force must possess a will as well.

There is a flaw in this argument. Gravity and electricity do not "will" objects to act as they do, nor do these actions occur with any desire or intention in mind. The nature of gravity that it naturally pulls on objects without any goal, for no arbitrary purpose. Similarly, opposite charges do not have the "desire" to lower the distance between each other. It is simply a natural occurrence, one that happens without any sort of "will" initiating events or knowledge of how it's done.

Similarly, the Force does not possess a "will" in the definition used here, and not at all in same manner as you or I. It does not have an intention or a desire, and the Force does not initiate action or change. And while it has been confirmed that the midichlorians, the organism that enable one to channel the Force, do possesses their own collective consciousness, this does not mean that the Force itself does. It must have a will in some form, as that is how its shapes the galaxy in its Cosmic aspect. It is known that the Force has power, and both knowledge and will are needed for power to exist. But the nature of that "will", should it ever be discovered, will be beyond the comprehension of any living creature, much less an entire sect of Force-Users following an doctrine that still divides the Force into a "Light Side" and a "Dark Side" then claims that the side they follow is the Force's true form.

So then it is said. To be powerful in the Force is to have both knowledge of how to use it, and the will to do so. The greater your knowledge and the greater your will, the greater power you shall have. And with that power, a person may instigate change, evolve and live. Such is the process of life.


End file.
